Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars

Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX concept is a luxury EV with a 621-mile range

Stephen Edelstein
By

Ahead of CES 2022, Mercedes-Benz unveiled an electric concept car that pushes the limits of efficiency and range.

The Vision EQXX boasts a claimed range of over 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), or about 100 miles more than the current range champ, the 520-mile Lucid Air. Mercedes didn’t achieve that by simply using a bigger battery pack. In fact, at 100 kilowatt-hours of usable capacity, the concept car’s pack is close in size to the Air’s. Instead, Mercedes focused on making every part of the Vision EQXX — from tires to batteries — as efficient as possible.

Recommended Videos

One specific area of focus was aerodynamics, because the less energy a car needs to expend punching a hole through the air, the farther it can go. The EQXX’s flattened nose and elongated tail give it a coefficient of drag (cd) of 0.17, beating Mercedes’ own EQS, which is currently the world’s most aerodynamic production car. Even the 20-inch wheels were optimized for aerodynamics, while the Bridgestone Turanza Eco tires were designed for ultra-low rolling resistance.

The Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX concept in motion.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The bodywork also helps with heat management. A system of shutters can draw heat away from the battery pack to keep it cool, or keep heat in to preserve range in colder temperatures. A heat pump draws waste heat from the drivetrain to warm the cabin, too. The pack itself has about the same capacity as the Mercedes EQS pack, but it’s half the size and 30% lighter, the automaker claims. The pack is also supplemented by a small solar array.

Related

Mercedes also tapped its Formula One powertrain division to help design a compact drive unit combining the electric motor, transmission, and power electronics. Mercedes said this unit can transfer 95% of the energy from the battery pack to the wheels, making it vastly more efficient than any internal-combustion powertrain. However, with an output of 201 horsepower, it’s not exactly overflowing with power.

To keep weight down, Mercedes used software to design parts based on organic forms, using material only in load-bearing areas. The interior also features a number of materials, including vegan silk, a mushroom-based leather substitute, and bamboo fiber, that are both sustainable and lightweight, Mercedes claims. Still, at 3,858 pounds, the Vision EQXX is no Lotus. The battery pack accounts for some of that weight and, because this is a Mercedes, you still get plenty of luxuries, including a massive infotainment screen.

The Vision EQXX isn’t destined for production; it was built to demonstrate Mercedes’ engineering cleverness. However, elements of it might be incorporated into future production cars. Mercedes hopes to go all-electric in at least some markets by 2030, and is already rolling out new EVs. The recently launched EQS sedan will soon be followed by an EQS SUV, plus an EQE model in both sedan and SUV body styles. Mercedes has also confirmed the smaller EQB SUV for the U.S., and sells the EQA and EQC in other markets.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Stephen Edelstein
Stephen Edelstein
Contributing Editor
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV first drive review: ’90s look, cutting-edge tech
Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.

Mercedes-Benz is one of the oldest automakers in existence, but it's been among the quickest to launch a lineup of electric cars. It may not have the freshness of a startup, but what it does have are actual cars to sell to customers.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is the middle child of Mercedes' electric SUV lineup, slotting between the entry-level EQB and the flagship EQS SUV, and targeting electric luxury SUVs like the Audi E-Tron, BMW iX, and Cadillac Lyriq. Like the EQS, the EQE SUV is based on an existing sedan, hence the "SUV" suffix. In a previous first drive, we found the EQE sedan to be a good balance between luxury and livability, giving the SUV version a lot to live up to.

Read more
Mercedes is finally bringing an electric van to the U.S.
Front three quarter view of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter electric van.

Mercedes-Benz might be known for luxury cars, but it also makes vans, and it's finally bringing an electric van to the United States.

Scheduled to start production this summer, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter is an all-electric version of the Sprinter full-size cargo van that's already a favorite of delivery services like FedEx and Amazon, as well as camper van converters. While the automaker has been selling electric vans in Europe since 2010, the new eSprinter is the first one aimed at the U.S. market.

Read more
Ram EV concept previews truck brand’s electric future
The Ram 1500 Revolution BEV concept was designed around an electric powertrain.

Electric pickup trucks are a hot trend in the auto industry, and Ram is late to the game. So the truck brand of massive automaker Stellantis needed to work hard to stand out.
Unveiled at CES 2023, the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV concept shows what Ram has in mind for its first production electric truck, which is scheduled to arrive in 2024. This concept version combines some features we’ve already seen on other electric trucks with a few clever new ideas. So while it may be revolutionary for the Ram brand, which is new to EVs, it’s more evolutionary when compared to other electric pickups.

Unmistakably electric
The Ram 1500 Revolution has the bulky appearance of a traditional truck, but with proportions that clearly mark it as an EV. With no need to accommodate an engine, the hood is much shorter. This allowed designers to make the cabin four inches longer than today’s internal-combustion Ram 1500 without shortening the bed, Ram claims. The grille is also smaller, although Ram compensated for this with a giant light-up logo and headlights with the same “tuning fork” elements as its current gasoline and diesel truck grilles.
The roofline is a bit lower and sleeker, which probably helps with aerodynamics, but like a traditional truck, the Revolution rolls on massive wheels and tires. The 35-inch tires are wrapped around 24-inch wheels with smooth covers and light-up elements. The charge port, meanwhile, is located in the driver’s side front fender. It makes a noise when the truck has started charging and blinks to show that charging is ongoing.
Like rival truck makers, Ram incorporated a frunk where the engine would normally be, plus the RamBox storage bins from its current trucks. Nearly every opening, including the tailgate, frunk, and charge port, is also power-operated.
Underpinning all of this power-operated convenience is the STLA Frame dedicated EV platform, one of four such platforms Stellantis plans to use for future EVs across its many brands, such as Chrysler and Jeep.

Read more